Buckland upset by Dodd and retires in the aftermath

Shortly after the fight, it emerged that Buckland had called time on his career and retired from boxing. ‘Dynamo’ turned professional 10 years ago and provided fans with many memories, including a Welsh Area title, two Celtic titles, a Prizefighter tournament trophy and a British title win.

The most unforgettable of Buckland’s fights came last year when he produced two Split Decision wars with fellow Welshman Gavin Rees at Cardiff’s Motorpoint (formerly C.I.A.) Arena, wining the first and losing the second encounter. Those classic Fight of the Year contenders against the former world champion are amongst the best fights in Welsh boxing history.

Buckland leaves the sport having been trained by Tony Borg and managed by Brian Powell for his decade long career. The 29-year-old was due to challenge Scott Cardle (18-0, 5KO) for the British title but the champion withdrew on Tuesday after suffering a thigh injury.

A fight with Dodd was hastily arranged and the winner was promised a shot at Cardle on 7 November at Liverpool’s Echo Arena. In Buckland’s typical forthright fashion, the former champion applied the pressure from the opening bell.

Dodd conceded centre ring and aimed to utilize his reach advantage, walking Buckland on to customary counters before skipping away. Always eager to engage, Buckland was undeterred and approached with more caution in the second stanza, dipping low before looping backhands over the top.

Buckland’s intensity appeared to be paying off in the fourth round, forcing Dodd to the ropes where the less experienced operator squared up. That success didn’t last long as Dodd adapted, switching stances to southpaw to exit exchanges.

In the second half of the fight, Dodd grew wise to the Welshman’s pressure, circling the ring with more poise and composure. A left hook landed flush on Buckland in the fifth round and although he wasn’t hurt, Dodd was routinely scoring with eye-catching replies to Buckland’s less effective arm punches.

Aside from the sixth round when Dodd appeared to take a breather, he retained his energy at the point of the fight when Buckland would’ve expected him to tire – especially since Dodd had originally been preparing for a six round undercard outing and Buckland was due to fight for 12 stanzas.

If anyone tired, it appeared to be Buckland and there were no complaints from the St Joseph’s Boxing Club member, who admitted in the post fight interview that he felt ‘flat’, when the referee deservedly scored it 97-95 to an emotional Dodd.